Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1887-06-10
COL. WOOD-NONPARlEL-vARl-
GUS NOTES.

the board of censOrs of the n. a. Il. ii. |
b. in regard to the pedigree of Col. Wood
which am firmly convinced was errono-
eous, the testimony of ). +. Patterson,
himself, was left for consideration until
this week. Mr.. Patterson was, indsput-
ably, the breeder of Col. Wood, and is
the owner of Billy Patterson, now de-
clared by the board of censors to be the
sire of the fast trotter. Very great
weight, ordinarily, attaches to the word
of a breeder in such matters; in fact it
would be conclusive in most eases where
no glaring improbablities were involved.
In this matter, Mr.. Patterson's testimony
was very stiff at the last hearing of the
case. He swOre that, in 1917. he bred
Flora Andrews. the dam of Col. Wood. to
his horse, Billy Patterson. himself, and
that he did not in that year breed her. or
any other mare, to Charley Is. But I'M
fortunately for Mr.. Patterson, he had
badly tangled himself on the previous
hearing, and, as the minutes of the pro-
ceedings were before the board at the
last hearing, no special pains were taken
with him on croSs-eXamination last De
cember. 1t seemed so clear a case of mis-
take-perhapS honeSt-in the year of the
coupling which produced Col. Wood that
it was not deemed necessary to prOlOng
the inquisition. Mr.. Patterson had testi-
fled that he had kept no stud-book. and
had not the slightest memorandum of the
service in question. Mr.. Burlew's stud
book. on the other hand, had a regular
entry, in ink, of the service. June 10,
1877, of Flora Andrews by Charley Il.
1t also had these entries i'll regular order
of mares served by Charley b. in 1877:
MAY $, :. +. Patterson and self, br.
Clara. by Gould's Hambletonan. dam
Old Abdallah.
''Sept. ., :. +. Patterson. br. Nipper,
by King Champion (gifD."
SO when Mr.. Patterson swore that he
had bred no mare to Charley b. in 1871.
he is obliged to confront a record in ink
made at the time. in an unimpeached
stud-bool. to the effect that he did breed
these mares to him that year. Further
more. Mr.. Patterson admitted that he had
frequently said that Colonel Wood was
by Charley b.. and the atlidavtS of sew
eral witnesses were presented that Pat
terson said to them. when the Billy Pat
terson story first got into circulation,
that he was only claiming it ito plague
JIM" meaning Burlew. Stronger yet
was the testimony on first hearing of Mr..
\. V. Sergeant, of Newark, y. j. In the
winter of lSSi-S5. after Col. Wood had
made his record of , :2G II. this witness,
who was then half owner of Charley b..
was at Mon Springs. and was chatting
with Patterson about the produce of Flora
Andrews The conversation occurred
outside of Burew'S office. and Sergeant
was astoniShed. when Col. Wood was
reached. to have Patterson claim that he
was by Billy Patterson. He had known
the horse from IA colt. and had never
heard his breeding disputed. Burlew
, overheard the remark of Patterson. and
came from his office to see two men. and
said. "Steve. | have heard that YOU were
circulating some such talk a, this. but it
now comes to my ears directly from you
, for the first time. Come into the office and
| will show YOU that you are wrong.
The two went into the office, and spent Il
little time over Burlew's books. When
Patterson returned to Sergeant, the lat
ter asked him how he found it. He threw
, up his arms and said: Il give it up.
was mistaken in the year. The remark
was heard by another witness. whose atli-
davit was presented at the last hearing
The word of breeder, again say. is Ell
titled to great weight but when the
breeder keeps no books of any kind,
3 when he admits that he has frequently
. given his word directly opposite, when it
, is entirely to his interest to make Il claim.
,, but he makes itat so late date as to rem
der it actually impossible for him to de-
pend upon his memory for the facts. and
when his claim goes dead against IA record
made at the time of service in regularly
! kept stud book, | submit that it is Il very
poor horse law to give much force TO his
testimony. | think that the evidence in
g., support of Patterson's claim has been
pretty thoroughly knocked in the head
in former articles in this department, and
that the board of censors have made a
colossal error.
t Mr.. p. \. Proper takes exception tC
the statement in Queries and Answers
} two week since, that Nonpariel was bred
2 and owned in Duchess county. He writes
! that the horse was bred, raised and own
ed by Mr.. John L. Waldorf, in Columbia
county, and that he died there at the age
of twenty-siX years. Mr.. Proper adds
that, when a boy of fifteen, he had the
pleasure of driving Nonpariel on the road
He describes him as "a very big-gaited
A fellow, who could go forty-five clip OF
D the road to wagon. Almost all of hi,
4 colts were good roadsters, and one coult
t tell most all of them As they favored the
/ sire so much
1 Last Sunday, at the track of the New
b York Driving club, Mr.. j. Is. Houston,
chestnut mare Clara trotted a mile il
l 2:23 II. She is by Leland, dam by
, Young Woful, and has a record of , Is
. 81, made last year. \ black mare, full
IA sister to Clara, also owned by Mr. lIous
n ton, showed mile in , ~.
: The meetings at the Philadelphia track,
! this spring have been prolific in fresl
Il ? 80 honors. The newcomers, including
those who performed at Point Breeze anC
u Suffolk Parks, and on Tuesday last IA
: Belmont Park, number Il round dozen
and are as follows
n Jerry Almont, blk g, by Scattergood's
. AlmOnt..... 2r2Ii.
II Ida Bell, b IN, by Major Miller.......... 2 - !.
!, A. q. z, by Black Bonner. ............. 2 81.
J.. Lady Thistle, br III, by Kent ............ 2G27t
King Midas, br z, by Woodtord Pilot. 80
!, st. Jacob, b z, by Hiram Drew.......... 2 20.
?, Lady OF Lyons, b m...................... PSI
n Matchless, b z, by Nil Desperandum. : 1s.
a Stella, b III, by Electioneer.. ............ . 80
. Champion Wilkes. b Z, by Barney
d Wilkes. ........................... . ~.
5 Grand Sec, b z, PAGER. :.,............,. %